Better
by Lisa12
Summary: Days after the meteor shower, life’s very different on the Kent farm


Better By Lisa Email: lc7685@hotmail.com Disclaimer: I don't own them, the show, the characters, anything or anyone Rating: PG-13 Summary: Days after the meteor shower, life's very different on the Kent farm.  
  
Jonathan watched Martha very carefully as they ate dinner. Clark was sitting in a makeshift highchair Jonathan had managed to construct at short notice. Clark was eating dinner very quietly, picking up one vegetable at a time and staring at it intently, before putting it in his mouth. He'd chew slowly, before swallowing and looking back down at the plate for something else to eat. Martha was watching everything Clark did with a small smile on her face. They'd only had Clark for just over a day, and he was yet to say a word. Neither were game to take him to a doctor. Apart from his silence he seemed perfectly healthy and didn't have a scratch on him. Martha and Jonathan weren't even sure if he wasn't speaking because he couldn't, or because he knew that he was somewhere different and so couldn't speak the way he had when he had been...wherever he was from. They'd survived their run-in with the Sheriff, who seemed to accept Clark okay, and the first night had been reasonably easy.  
  
Clark had fallen asleep as soon as Jonathan and Martha had put him down and he'd woken up only half an hour before Jonathan had the next morning. Probably tired from the day just passed, they'd assumed. He was certainly energetic when he was awake, and it had taken all of Jonathan's energy just to show Clark around the farm while he was on his morning route. Martha had come out to meet him a little later and had taken Clark back inside, away from the media helicopters that were flying around for the first half of the day, surveying the damage across the entire town.  
  
They'd been fielding telephone calls all morning from Martha's friends in Metropolis and a couple of people in town. Neither Martha nor Jonathan had spoken to Nell, however, saving that visit for tomorrow-  
  
He stopped his thoughts as he saw it again. She winced. It was the faintest tic along her left cheek; her eyes didn't falter as she moved to push her chair back. He thought he'd seen her wince in similar fashion as she'd sat down, but hadn't mentioned it, yet there it was again. She looked over at him, and she must have known he'd seen her. She looked away quickly, back to Clark.  
  
"You finished Clark?" she asked, trying to get him used to his name. He looked at her, non-responsive. "How about if I clean up here and daddy gets you ready for bed?" She looked over at Jonathan and he stood, reaching over and picking Clark up. Clark grinned.  
  
"Come on buddy," Jonathan whispered as he put his son down, watching him run upstairs. He turned to Martha. "He seems to understand everything we're saying-" She nodded, looking at him, not standing up until he was gone.  
  
Martha took the dishes to the sink and let them rest in the hot water already there. After washing the cutlery she reached down for the first plate. As she started washing it she felt Jonathan approach silently behind her, and sure enough, two hands rested on her shoulders.  
  
"All right, spill it," he began.  
  
"Clark brush his teeth?"  
  
"Yes. Doesn't seem very tired though. He's sitting in bed flicking through a picture book at the moment. I told him you'd be in to say goodnight." She nodded, and Jonathan handed her a towel to dry her hands. "Before you go-" he added. "What's going on?"  
  
"What?" Martha asked. "Nothing." Jonathan kissed the back of her neck and started to move his hands to her waist but she stopped him, stepping sideways. He took her hands, turning her to him.  
  
"Don't nothing me, I know you're lying."  
  
"I know," she sighed. He smiled softly, tipping her head back to his with his finger.  
  
"You're hurt?" he asked seriously. The accident had happened yesterday, and they'd all gone to sleep instantly the previous night, but Martha had been quiet for the last half of the day, and he was starting to get worried that perhaps she'd sustained some kind of head injury that was having delayed effects. She smiled at him, though, and he relaxed somewhat because it appeared to be a genuine smile.  
  
"I know what you're thinking and no, it wasn't yesterday."  
  
"What then?" Martha took a deep breath, before holding his eyes to hers as she unbuttoned her shirt. He didn't take his eyes from hers until her shirt fell open, revealing a large bruise along her left side, towards her lower ribs. Jonathan reached out, taking her waist in both hands and running a finger lightly over the bruise. "What happened?" he asked, turning her slightly to make sure it didn't extend around to her back. It didn't. Looking at it, the centre of the bruise was quite small, but the area was red. "Martha it looks broken-" He looked at her face.  
  
"I know, I was going to strap it tonight, once Clark was asleep. I didn't want him to see..."  
  
"Why not?" Jonathan asked. "When did this happen? Who touched you? I'll-" She stopped him, a hand resting on his chest.  
  
"Just after lunch. No one was here, Jonathan. I went in to check on Clark while he was sleeping this afternoon. He was dreaming, and he, he kicked out in his sleep."  
  
"Clark did this?"  
  
"He was asleep, he-" She stopped, waiting for Jonathan.  
  
"No, keep going."  
  
"I couldn't help it, I cried out and fell off the bed, onto the floor. Clark woke up then, and I think he realised what had happened. He got really upset, started crying-" Jonathan's eyes widened. Clark hadn't cried yet, he'd only smiled. If he cried for Martha, that was a good sign. "I didn't want him to see that he'd hurt me-"  
  
"I think he knows."  
  
"So do I."  
  
"Does it look as bad as it feels?" He touched the bruise again and her stomach tensed.  
  
"Mm, it's bearable. I'll go and see Doc Reynolds tomorrow - tell him it's from the crash." Jonathan nodded. "Better go up to see Clark," she added, doing up the buttons on her shirt.  
  
*  
  
Jonathan was rifling through the bottom drawer of Martha's dresser when he heard her calling him.  
  
"Jonathan-" He stood and walked to where she was standing, in Clark's door. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, a book in his lap, and his head in the book. His back was rising and falling, and he was fast asleep, his hands on either side of him, pressing into the mattress. Jonathan laughed as they walked forward, Martha taking his head carefully and lifting it so that Jonathan could take the book from his lap and close it, placing it on the floor beside the bed they'd managed to get together. Martha rested him back on the pillows and Jonathan pulled the sheets gently from under him, bringing them up around his armpits. Martha leant over and kissed his forehead, brushing back his fringe, as he slept.  
  
"Goodnight Clark," she whispered, grinning as he took her hand and squeezed it momentarily, before relaxing again in his sleep. Jonathan smiled, helping Martha to stand out of her kneeling position beside the bed and walking with her back to their room. "I hope Lionel-"  
  
"He said he'd get back to us as soon as possible." Martha nodded, walking up to the mirror and taking her shirt off, looking at the bruise in her reflection.  
  
"Ouch," she mocked, smiling and raising her eyebrows. "It looks worse than it feels, I promise you," she stated as Jonathan came up behind her and began wrapping a bandage around her skin, pulling tightly to secure the position of the ribs. "I don't think they're broken," she continued.  
  
"Can't be too sure," Jonathan replied. "Strong kid, eh? We'll have to teach him to be extra careful."  
  
"He knows, Jonathan. At least, he knows now. When I picked myself off the floor he was sitting up looking terrified. I assured him that I was all right, and when I mentioned that he was much stronger than mummy and daddy and everyone else he was going to meet, and that he had to be careful when he was awake he watched me and he nodded, before bursting into tears. I assure you he was exceptionally gentle with me the rest of the day. Ah, ow, too tight-" she added as Jonathan doubled the bandage layer over the bruise. He undid it and went around again, still tight but gentler, before spinning the bandage around her and up to the bottom of her bra, pinning it along her left.  
  
"There you go. Feel better?" She turned to him.  
  
"Actually, it does feel a little better, more secure-"  
  
"Have you taken pain-killers today?"  
  
"Yeah-"  
  
"Then I can almost guarantee that there's something broken or splintered in there. I broke a rib when I was thirteen, remember? You'll live though." Martha smiled.  
  
"I'm sure I will. Jonathan do you think we're safe here?" Jonathan nodded.  
  
"Yeah, we're safe." He leant in and kissed her as she took a step forward, but he pulled away after only a brief moment. Martha watched him, obviously disappointed. "One bad thing though-" She raised an eyebrow. "I really wanted to celebrate the fact that we're alive, and we're a family, and you go and break a rib-" She laughed.  
  
"You can still do all that!" He looked at her, and she stepped forward again, pulling his neck down to her level and kissing him deeply. "I told you it looks much worse than it feels." He smiled in the kiss, reaching for her belt. "Just go slow-" Jonathan pulled back, smiling at Martha before kissing her gently and briefly several times on the lips.  
  
"I got no problem with that," he replied, taking her hands and leading her over to the bed.  
  
*  
  
Jonathan was drying his face after shaving the next morning, humming softly to himself as he then pulled on a shirt and buttoned it up, reaching for a comb. He heard bare-footsteps on the ground and turned. Clark smiled at him, waving.  
  
"Good morning Clark," Jonathan said, smiling back at the boy who was wearing a small pair of shorts and that was it. Clark's eyes widened, as he looked behind him to Martha, who was lying flat on her back, her head turned from them, sound asleep still. "You want to say good morning to mum too?" Jonathan asked. Clark nodded. Every hour he was with them he'd get more confident at communicating, and Jonathan couldn't keep the smile off his face. "All right, but remember to be gentle," Jonathan warned. Clark looked scared all of a sudden, but Jonathan kept smiling, encouraging him to go, and the fear in his eyes soon changed into a mixture of apprehension and concentration. Jonathan watched carefully as Clark climbed up onto the bed and let a hand rest on Martha's cheek, stroking it softly. Jonathan saw Martha reach up and take hold of Clark's tiny hand, turning her head to him and opening her eyes.  
  
"Hi Clark," she said, her voice coarse. Jonathan walked up, and suddenly grabbed Clark around the waist, picking him up and swinging him around, setting him on the floor. Clark laughed and Martha smiled at the sound. Jonathan sat down where Clark had been and leant over, kissing his wife good morning. "Hi Jonathan," Martha responded warmly as he pulled away. "I'll be down in a sec."  
  
"Take your time. I'll take you to Doc Reynolds as soon as you're ready." She smiled and nodded as he leant down and kissed her again, pressing himself into her. She moaned softly, but Jonathan pulled back when the bed jumped, Clark scrambling back up onto it. Martha laughed. "Clark, you wanna help daddy this morning or stay with mummy?" Clark looked between Martha and Jonathan, confused and unsure. Did he have to choose between them now? His brow creased and Martha smiled, pushing him away gently.  
  
"Go with daddy, hey? He'll get you some breakfast." She grinned, as Clark seemed to be happy with not having to choose himself. He got off the bed and raced to the door, waiting for Jonathan, who leant over and kissed Martha one more time.  
  
"Hurry down sweetheart," he whispered, before going to Clark. As he walked to the door, however, Clark ran back to Martha and jumped back onto the bed. Jonathan, still very aware of Clark's strength - he'd been very careful with Martha the previous night and had still hit a nerve once or twice - watched with a small smile on his face as Clark leant and kissed Martha on the cheek too. Must think it's standard practice, he thought to himself, amused. Martha was about to say something to him when he looked at her, a glint in his eye she hadn't seen before.  
  
"Mummy," he said, before turning his head and looking at Jonathan. "Daddy." Martha's eyes grew wide and Jonathan walked quickly forward, to both get closer to his son and also to help Martha sit up, as she was struggling to.  
  
"Clark, that's brilliant!" Martha exclaimed, amazed at how quickly he'd picked up that much. She stretched out her arms for a hug but Clark shied away. "What's the matter Clark?" she asked.  
  
"Mummy-" he started, running out of words then and there, before touching her stomach through the shirt she'd pulled on before falling asleep the night before. Martha's eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Oh it's okay Clark. Mummy's okay." Clark looked back at Jonathan, who nodded, rubbing the boy's back supportively. He leant down.  
  
"Go on, give your mum a hug- Like this-" He hugged Martha around the shoulders and pulled back as Clark did the same, Martha holding onto him tightly. "Good boy. And now we're going to get some breakfast so mummy can get ready okay?" Clark nodded, taking Jonathan's hand and waving back at Martha as he disappeared down the stairs. Martha managed to get out of bed, feeling a little weak from a desire for a drink of water and from the late night she and Jonathan had had. She smiled to herself and pulled on a shirt, buttoning it up, and managed after several tries to get into a pair of jeans, finding some slip-in shoes to wear along with it. She washed her face and brushed her hair, before walking downstairs to find Jonathan showing Clark how to put spread onto toast. Martha smiled, walking forward and kissing them both on the cheek before getting herself a drink and leaning against the bench, not game to try sitting down again. Clark handed her his piece of toast and grinned at her widely.  
  
"Is this for me?" Martha asked. He nodded and watched as she ate it, grinning. "That's great, Clark." Turning to Jonathan she said, "This is turning out to be a pretty good day!" Jonathan nodded.  
  
"I really don't want to go into town, but we have to get you checked out, and we have to go eventually." Martha nodded.  
  
"Yeah," she replied, drifting off, but keeping the smile on her face because Clark was still watching her eat. "It can only get better from here, hey Clark?"  
  
"Yes?" he replied, looking at Jonathan. "No?" Martha tried not to laugh. It seems that Jonathan had already taught him yes and no. She wasn't surprised though, he was a bright kid. Jonathan ruffled Clark's hair.  
  
"Yes, it can only get better." Clark nodded. That's what he'd thought it was.  
  
"Yes," he stated for Martha, proud of his new achievements. "Better. Yes." Martha nodded. She agreed. It was already better than she had ever expected.  
  
*** 


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